Do Your Children Know What Delights You?
It was an average lunchtime conversation. I mentioned to my kids an upcoming speaking engagement I needed to prepare for and one of them piped up with an unexpected question.
“How do you decide what things you are going to do, mom?”
Their insight and interest, growing with age, catches me by surprise some days. So I pointed the question right back at them.
“What do you guys think? What do you think is the first thing mama does when she is trying to decide if she will take on something new or not?”
Between bites of sandwiches they threw out their best guesses.
“You ask dad?”
“You go out to coffee with your friends?”
“Do you call the mayor?”
The five year old is always a wild card, but I felt like they all missed the obvious.
When the Obvious Isn’t Obvious
“I pray! I pray and ask God about every decision I need to make.”
Our conversation was over nearly as quickly as it had began and they were on with their day but their guesses played in my mind as I was cleaning up form lunch.
How could they not know I pray? Isn’t it obvious? Maybe not. I don’t much involve them in those types of decisions yet.
I was thankful for the conversation and the opportunity to talk about what was clearly not obvious.
Recently my heart settled on Psalm 1.
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord.
Our Delight
This Psalm goes on to include the beautiful imagery of those who delight in the Lord being like a tree planted by the river, bringing forth fruit in season, prospering. What a thought, right? That is exactly the kind of life I want to live, delighting in the law of the Lord.
But that brief conversation with my children came to mind and I wondered. Does it show? Do my kids see my delight in the Lord?
Honestly, I’m afraid to ask. But in the meantime, I’ve been thinking through a few ways I can visibly show them what I delight in.
Tangible Ways to Show Our Children What We Delight In
Visible Reminders
A mentor recently encouraged me to leave my Bible open in our home each day. Wherever I am studying, I simply leave it open as reminder to my kids (and to me!) that the Word is apart of our every day.
Delight in His Creation
All creations speaks His name. Do we proclaim that? Our intricate bodies, the glowing stars, an apple tree and even an ant speak of our great Creator. Do we notice with awe and wonder? Do we take the time to pass that on to our children?
Change Your Habits
I will admit, I love having a quiet time of study in the dark hours before my kids wake, but I was recently challenged by someone who switched that up, for a season, so her children could see her habit of making time to delight in the Lord. What a great idea!
Let Them See it Lived Out
An 8 year old may not appreciate the grace and patience motherhood requires, but a 28 year old will. A 28 year old will remember her mother’s patience when she was 8, her mother’s grace when she was tired, her mothers forgiveness and perseverance on hard days. Our daily reactions are setting a precedent that may be recalled years later. May our children recall our delight in following God’s law, lived out in even the most practical ways.
Our children are watching, noticing, so much more than we realize. They see where we spend our time; to what we attach our hearts. It is worth every effort to show them our hearts delight in Him.
Blessings,
Katie, I Choose Brave
100 Words of Affirmation Your Son/Daughter Needs to Hear
Matt and Lisa Jacobson want you to discover the powerful ways you can build your children up in love with the beautiful words you choose to say every day–words that every son and daughter needs to hear.
These affirmation books offer you one hundred phrases to say to your son or daughter – along with short, personal stories and examples – that deeply encourage, affirm, and inspire.
So start speaking a kind and beautiful word into their lives daily and watch your children–and your relationship with them–transform before your eyes.
